Larson-Allmaras Emerging Issues in Soil and Water Lectures

William E. Larson and Raymond R. Allmaras Emerging Issues in Soil and Water Lectures

Manure Happens: Unintended consequences of nourishing over seven billion human omnivores

Dr. Eric Davidson | Professor and Director of the Appalachian Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science

Friday, May 4th | 2:00 pm | 335 Borlaug Hall

Abstract:
Humans have profoundly altered the global nitrogen cycle in an effort to feed over 7 billion people. Humanity has disrupted the nitrogen cycle even more than the carbon cycle, leading to widespread effects on ecosystems, biodiversity, human health, and climate. There have been important successes in reducing nitrogen emissions to the atmosphere by industrial and transportation sectors, and this has improved air quality. Effective solutions for reducing nitrogen losses from agriculture to groundwater and surface waters have also been identified, although considerable political, social, and economic impediments to their adoption remain. At the same time, demand for food is growing. One effort to integrate and frame socioeconomic and ecological challenges is the Sustainable Agricultural Matrix, which is a collection of quantifiable indicators from environmental, social, and economic dimensions, selected according to criteria of sustainability, data availability, data quality, and the potential to evaluate trade-offs at national scales.

Introductory Speaker:

There will be a breif, 10 minute talk from Mr. John Jaschke, the Executive Director of the MN Board on Soil and Water on the new Minnesota Soil Health Initiative.

About Dr. Eric Davidson:

Eric A. Davidson is Director and Professor at the Appalachian Laboratory of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science in Frostburg, MD. Previously, he was a Senior Scientist and served a term as President and Executive Director at the Woods Hole Research Center, Woods Hole, MA. His research in biogeochemistry includes the exchange of plant nutrients from the land to streams and groundwater and the exchange of greenhouse gases between the soil and the atmosphere. He works in a variety of ecosystems, including forests and agricultural lands in North and South America. Davidson holds a Ph.D. in forestry from North Carolina State University and held post-doctoral positions in soil microbiology and biogeochemistry at the UC-Berkeley and the NASA Ames Research Center. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and President of the 60,000-member scientific society, the American Geophysical Union. He served as the Coordinator of the North American Center for the International Nitrogen Initiative and is the leader of a Research Coordination Network on Reactive Nitrogen in the Environment. Davidson has written a popular book, You Can’t Eat GNP, which explores the links between economics and ecology for students and laypersons.

Mission

Among the principal concerns for the 21st century are food security, global sustainability of natural resources, and healthy environment. Soil and water sciences play a critical role in addressing these concerns. This lecture series provides a forum to explore emerging issues, to inspire creative thinking, and to recognize excellence in the broad area of agricultural research with specific emphasis on soil and water.

Program Issues

Soil, water, atmospheric resources: their analysis, integration, use, and associated information delivery systems.
Management and conservation of soil and water resources.
Judicious use and management of agricultural chemicals for water quality maintenance and crop production.
Soil and water research and education that benefit agriculture while improving and protecting the environment.

Past Lectures

2017 - Dr. David Lobb & Dr. Don Flaten | Sources of Sediments and Phosphorus to Lake Winnipeg: Matching Causes with Cures
2016 - Dr. Jerry L. Hatfield | ClimateSmart Agriculture: Can we assemble the puzzle correctly?
2015 - Dr. Raj Khosla | Eureka! Precision Agriculture for Small Scale Farming Systems
2014 - Dr. Diana H. Wall | Soil Biodiversity
2013 - Dr. Ronald F. Follet & Dr. Mark B. David | Agriculture and Environment
2012 - Dr. Ken Cassman | Food Security
2011 - Dr. Paul M. Bertsch | Nano-technology
2010 - Dr. Henry Janzen | Carbon Cycling
2009 - Dr. G. Philip Robertson | Ecology and Modern Agriculture
2008 - Dr. Bob A. Stewart & Mr. Robin O'Malley | National Environmental Indicators
2007 - Dr. Gary W. Petersen & Dr. Ronald Amundson | Land Use
2006 - Dr. Bruce E. Dale & Dr. Richard M. Cruse | Bioenergy
2005 - Dr. R. Wayne Skaggs | Agricultural Drainage
2004 - Dr. R. Eugene Turner | Hypoxia
2003 - Dr. Rattan Lal | Carbon Sequestration